Ovechkin scored 1:17 into Russia’s first game but then was held without a goal for the remainder of the tournament. Russian coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov referenced those scoring woes without prompting during his postgame press conference.

Russia has not reached the Olympic semifinals since 2006, having been knocked out in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Vancouver Games by Canada, and has not medaled since 2002, when it won bronze in Salt Lake City.